Policy Issue Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Policy Issue Paper - Essay Example The energy security is a very vital issue and deserving of its inclusion in the State of the Union address because it is concerned with the most valuable component of American life, - the energy which fuels the entire US nation, from the west to the east coast, to life. Without this energy source, life in America and everywhere in the world will virtually halt to a standstill. Oil is the chief energy source of the United States and not surprisingly, US is the top oil user in the world, guzzling 20, 588,000 barrels of oil per day according to a 2006 statistic (EIA 1). The problem however with this valuable fossil fuel is that not only is it a potential powerful political tool but that its very availability is now in question. There are claims that oil world resources are dwindling although some quarters like the Cambridge Energy Research Associates are disputing this CERA 2006). It can be fairly said however that the issue of global warming is by now beyond dispute although largely still unacknowledged. Recent scientific studies has established that the burning of fossil fuel emits carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and, along with other greenhouse gases, prevents sunlight from being reflected out of the earth’s atmosphere causing global warming. A hot planet in turn, disturbs climate cycles, melts the ice in the north and south poles altering the water-land ratio, and changes ecosystems (NRDC 2007). With these problems, it shouldn’t be a surprise therefore that the President, in talking about energy security, primarily focused on reducing oil consumption and specifically suggested alternatives like the â€Å"funding of technologies that can generate coal power while capturing carbon emissions†, increasing â€Å"the use of renewable power and emission-free nuclear power,† â€Å"investing in advanced battery technology and renewable fuels,† creating a â€Å"new

Separation of a mixture of solids Essay Example for Free

Separation of a mixture of solids Essay A. How did your proposed procedures or flow charts at the beginning of this experiment compare to the actual procedures of this lab exercise? When I began filling out my flow chart, I was slightly confused on how the actual experiment was supposed to work. After watching the separation and a few times trying some steps I understood the experiment. B.Discuss potential advantages or disadvantages of your proposed procedure compared to the one actually used. The filtered item with the paper took longer than expected to dry and I actually still had some wet particles on my paper. When performing these steps without direct supervision it can be hard to make sure you are doing things correctly. There could be many errors with measurement and all of the mixture could not be separated. C.How would you explain a sand recovery percentage that is higher than the original sand percentage? To explain this I would say that not all of the other mixtures were actually separated from the sand. D.What were potential sources of error in this experiment? The potential sources of error were in the weighing of the item and in whether or not the item was all the way dry or filtered. Final Conclusion: (Summarize the most important findings and what you learned from this lab) I learned that through various procedures, different pieces of mixtures can be separated and that each has its own distinct properties. If I were to simply look at a mixture I would not know that all of the items could be separated into their own category.

Ibm History :: essays research papers

1890-1938: The early years IBM was incorporated in the state of New York on June 15, 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company. But its origins can be traced back to 1890, during the height of the Industrial Revolution, when the United States was experiencing waves of immigration. The U.S. Census Bureau knew its traditional methods of counting would not be adequate for measuring the population, so it sponsored a contest to find a more efficient means of tabulating census data. The winner was Herman Hollerith, a German immigrant and Census Bureau statistician, whose Punch Card Tabulating Machine used an electric current to sense holes in punch cards and keep a running total of data. Capitalizing on his success, Hollerith formed the Tabulating Machine Co. in 1896. In 1911, Charles R. Flint, a noted trust organizer, engineered the merger of Hollerith's company with two others, Computing Scale Co. of America and International Time Recording Co. The combined Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co., or C-T-R, manufactured and sold machinery ranging from commercial scales and industrial time recorders to meat and cheese slicers and, of course, tabulators and punch cards. Based in New York City, the company had 1,300 employees and offices and plants in Endicott and Binghamton, N.Y.; Dayton, Ohio; Detroit, Mich.; Washington, D.C., and Toronto, Canada. When the diversified businesses of C-T-R proved difficult to manage, Flint turned for help to the former No. 2 executive at the National Cash Register Co., Thomas J. Watson. In 1914, Watson, age 40, joined the company as general manager. The son of Scottish immigrants, Watson had been a top salesman at NCR, but left after clashing with its autocratic leader, John Henry Patterson. However, Watson did adopt some of Patterson's more effective business tactics: generous sales incentives, an insistence on well-groomed, dark-suited salesmen and an evangelical fervor for instilling company pride and loyalty in every worker. Watson boosted company spirit with employee sports teams, family outings and a company band. He preached a positive outlook, and his favorite slogan, "THINK," became a mantra for C-T-R's employees. Watson also stressed the importance of the customer, a lasting IBM tenet. He understood that the success of the client translated into the success of his company, a belief that, years later, manifested itself in the popular adage, "Nobody was ever fired for buying from IBM." Within 11 months of joining C-T-R, Watson became its president. The company focused on providing large-scale, custom-built tabulating solutions for businesses, leaving the market for small office products to others.

Pda Connector Case Essay

An additional feature of ConneCtor is its ability to establish wireless links to other ConneCtors for voice and data transfer or to cell phones for voice transfer. For direct data transfer, the product includes an infrared port and also ships with a USB synchronization cradle. In summary, the key features of ConneCtor are: †¢ Instant communication for voice and data †¢ Cell phone, pager, fax and e-mail, and instant messaging †¢ PIM functions †¢ Digital voice recorder †¢ Enabled voice commands †¢ PalmOS application base. The History of the PDA The Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) is basically a hand-held computer. In 1984, the first PDA, the Psion1, was introduced. It could store addresses and phone numbers, keep a calendar, and included a clock and calculator. In 1993, Apple introduced the Newton PDA, which was too bulky, too expensive and had handwriting recognition too inaccurate to be successful. However, the excitement surrounding the Newton hinted that there could be a market for such devices. The broad acceptance of PDA technology then materialized in 1996, when Palm Inc. ame out with the Palm Pilot that featured an elegant user interface and a reliable character-recognition system. By 2001, PDAs had evolved to offer many applications including wireless Internet capabilities, games and music playback. PDAs are designed for very specific tasks and environments: there are custom-built PDAs for amateur astronomers, truck drivers and teachers. In addition, there is specialized software available to fit specific needs; f or example, people in the medical fields can obtain software that lists thousands of drugs with their dosages and interactions. PDA Types The 2001 palm-sized PDA market was mainly composed of two types, each with its own philosophy: (1) the PDA/Palm devices run PalmOS, whose developers sought to make PDAs simple but functional products focusing on Personal Information Management (PIM) tasks; (2) the PDA/Pocket PCs run the more complex operating system, Microsoft Windows CE, which allows these PDAs to offer 1 Source: Marketing Engineering – Lilien and Rangaswamy extensive features. In addition, â€Å"smart† phones are breaking into the PDA world. These wireless application protocol phones extend traditional cell phones with PDA functions such as email and Web access. The original Palm Pilot embodied the PDA/Palm design mission. It provided a simple organizational device, composed of a calendar, an address book and a to-do list with e-mail and Internet access. It also had a character-recognition system that worked for most people. Handspring, Palm’s biggest competitor, introduced snap-on modules to expand the Handspring Visor and allow many applications, including an MP3 player, a web cam and digital camera. These features appealed to the youth market and enabled Handspring to gain considerable market share. In 2001, Palm also offered this same degree of expandability and was able to maintain a market share of more than two thirds; in addition, all of Palm’s close competitors licensed its operating system, PalmOS. Several electronic manufacturers have developed similar devices; for example, Sony introduced Clie as a direct competitor to Palm and Handspring. PocketPCs make up the other group of PDAs, whose manufacturers include Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, Psion and Casio. These hand-held computers come with a large application suite of pocket Windows applications, e. g. , a scaled down version of MS Office. They usually come with more memory than PDA/Palms and with a range of accessories to be added to the devices (e. g. , digital cameras, web ams). However, they are bulkier, heavier and more expensive. In contrast, PDA/Palms perform basic tasks very well and, unlike the PocketPCs, synchronize with non-Windows systems. A new technological thrust in 2001 involved the adoption of wireless technology for the PDA with manufacturers trying to assess if and how to add wireless capabilities. Wireless technology would make synchronization possible without docking, making PDAs true communication tools. AT&T, Nokia and other cellular phone companies have started developing wireless phones with some PDA functions. The PDA Customer As PDA designs have evolved, manufacturers have targeted different segments based on differing lifestyle and business needs. Palm initially captured innovators – people eager to adopt a new gadget. A typical early PDA user was a professional, high-income male. He was over 30 and probably worked in a technology field. Even as of September 2000, 93 percent of PDA users were male, according to IDC, a Massachusetts technology consulting firm. Another major group of users is the mobile professional. Since this group frequently needs access to e-mail and the Internet while away from the office, it is also driving progress on the wireless front. A recent study by the University of California at Berkeley indicated that nearly half of the users had a technical job dealing with computers, and the overwhelming majority of the respondents rated hemselves as technically sophisticated. To attract more mainstream buyers in 2001, companies were working on increasing the usability of the PDA and its general appeal to non business users. For example, the new Claudia Schiffer Palm (sold via her Web site) is supposed to give Palm a sexier image, and Handspring’s Visor line comes in many colors. Palm’s affordable M series ($150) targets college students and other nonprofessional consumers. It is expected that such efforts will eventually open up the largely untapped young consumer and female markets. However in 2001, it appeared unlikely that the bulk of the mainstream population would enthusiastically embrace the PDA. A PDA was still relatively pricey and fairly limited. Handwriting recognition was slow and lacked quality, and keyboard facilities were either non-existent, too big to carry or too small to use. The display screen was too small for most applications other than text display. Internet connections were generally both slow and expensive. In addition, the mainstream market appeared to have little need for many of the more sophisticated features the PDAs were able to offer. PDA Features Given all the available design options, new product entries must make tradeoffs between features. Customers want easy portability, but with more functions the PDA becomes heavier and bulkier. PDA users’ needs are heterogeneous. Those who are looking for a high-tech way to store contact and appointment data may be satisfied with the basic models that cost $200 or less. They also are likely to prefer to keep a PC and cell phone separately rather than having an integrated PDA system that could do both. Users who plan to use the PDA as an extension of a PC by creating and accessing documents, sending e-mail, and doing basic Web surfing, might consider a Pocket-PC in the range of $350–$600. The appendix provides more details on PDA features. Facts about the PDA Market In 2001, many companies participated in the PDA market, bringing in a variety of new products designed to appeal to new audiences. The market was changing and growing rapidly. PDA unit sales totaled 1. 3 million in 1999 and more than doubled, totaling 3. 5 million in 2000 (Source: NPD INTELECT in Business 2. 0).

Outline How Material Things Essay

This essay will outline how material things on City Road favour the activities of some groups of people over others by looking at Ethnicity, Class and Gender. City Road is a big road filled with lots of different cultures, gender, class, age and history. When walking down the road it can be seen that the belonging and not belonging in the society. It opens your eyes as to what exactly goes on in different societies and City Road is a big street with a lot of demands and structures in it. Over the years society changed and so did the street. It goes by what is in demand, how society changes and by the vast majority of different cultures coming into the area. You see a lot of people trying to conform to the society and many trying to hold onto their own identities. First of all I’m going to talk about the Ethnicity on the street. We are going to the Xquisite Africa shop. Janet, the lady that owns the shop originates from Africa and moved to the UK over ten years ago. When she came to the UK she thought that she had to change her identity and conform to the society. She sells a lot of things from Africa and by doing this she gets to hold onto her identity of the African culture and also appeals to customers from the same ethnic background. She felt after being in the UK for ten years that she had lost her identity and so she decided to take a trip back home to Africa to re-charge her batteries as she puts it. She wanted to re-gain her culture that she so desperately lost. This aspect could help her re-gain her culture and identity and allows her to share this with the right clientele from a multi-racial background. She can share a state of belonging to a social group that has in common a national or cultural background, whilst negotiating with people on the complex of different identities. She contributes to the African social life and society as well as on City Road. Therefore promoting her African background and understanding there is no need to conform to the society and changing her identity. We then move onto class in the Municipal Club. A social stratum, whose members share a certain economic, social or cultural characteristics. For this instance the working class. It is aimed at the local residents and has over 100 years of history. A group containing members regarded as having certain attributes of traits in common has slowly disappeared and they long for the society to change back to what they believed it was. Whilst in the (DVD, Making social lives on City Road, 2009, scene 5) Lloyd Robson talks to couple of residents in the club and gets their insight of what is going on. He asked them if they thought the club had a future. They said no. no-one wants to know it anymore and even the members have started to lose interest. But because the society has changed it meant that they described city road as being dangerous and rough. They long for the past. They want it to go back to what they say it used to be or imagined it. The inequalities and differences that has changed and also the traditions has been lost. They lack the sense of belonging they used to have when City Road used to be theirs. Then we come across the Sanna Silk shop. This is where the female is favoured over the male. It’s a family business orientated around females as they sell and make dresses of different materials. They get to choose their type of material and their patterns. It is mainly focused at Asian women. In the (DVD, Making social lives on City Road, 2009, scene 6 by Raghuran) she says â€Å"it is a very different way of portraying Asian women than I often seen in the media. † They also have a section for jewellery. Most of their jewellery is 22 carat gold and is mainly aimed at the women. They also have a selection for their wedding day. So it has an Asian culture that is even though yes men go in to buy but is very female orientated. Conclusion Therefore in City Road, my examples favour female gender activities over male, is a very multi-racial area and favours specific class over others. Therefore explaining that society changes all of the time and conforms to whatever is more in demand in that specific time of era.

Major General Charles Griffin in the Civil War

Major General Charles Griffin in the Civil War Charles Griffin - Early Life Career: Born December 18, 1825 at Granville, OH, Charles Griffin was the son of Apollos Griffin.   Receiving his early education locally, he later attended Kenyon College.   Desiring a career in the military, Griffin successfully sought an appointment to the US Military Academy in 1843.   Arriving at West Point, his classmates included A.P. Hill, Ambrose Burnside, John Gibbon, Romeyn Ayres, and Henry Heth.   An average student, Griffin graduated in 1847 ranked twenty-third in a class of thirty-eight.   Commissioned a brevet second lieutenant, he received orders to join the 2nd US Artillery which was engaged in the Mexican-American War.   Traveling south, Griffin took part in the final actions of the conflict.   Promoted to first lieutenant in 1849, he moved through various assignments on the frontier. Charles Griffin - The Civil War Nears: Seeing action against the Navajo and other Native American tribes in the Southwest, Griffin remained on the frontier until 1860.   Returning east with the rank of captain, he assumed a new post as an instructor of artillery at West Point.   In early 1861, with the secession crisis pulling the nation apart, Griffin organized an artillery battery comprised of enlisted men from the academy.   Ordered south following the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in April and the beginning of the Civil War,   Griffins West Point Battery (Battery D, 5th US Artillery) joined Brigadier General Irvin McDowells forces which were gathering at Washington, DC.   Marching out with the army that July, Griffins battery was heavily engaged during the Union defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run and sustained heavily casualties. Charles Griffin - To the Infantry: In the spring of 1862, Griffin moved south as part of Major General George B. McClellans Army of the Potomac for the Peninsula Campaign.   During the early part of the advance, he led the artillery attached to Brigadier General Fitz John Porters division of III Corps and saw action during the Siege of Yorktown.   On June 12, Griffin received a promotion to brigadier general and took command of an infantry brigade in Brigadier General George W. Morells division of Porters newly-formed V Corps.   With the beginning of the Seven Days Battles in late June, Griffin performed well in his new role during the engagements at Gaines Mill and Malvern Hill.   With the failure of the campaign, his brigade moved back to northern Virginia but was held in reserve during the Second Battle of Manassas in late August.   A month later, at Antietam, Griffins men were again part of the reserve and did not see meaningful action.       Charles Griffin - Divisional Command: That fall, Griffin replaced Morell as division commander.   Though possessing a difficult personality that often caused issues with his superiors, Griffin was soon beloved by his men.   Taking his new command into battle at Fredericksburg on December 13, the division was one of several tasked with assaulting Maryes Heights.   Bloodily repulsed, Griffins men were forced to fall back.   He retained command of the division the following year after Major General Joseph Hooker assumed leadership of the army.   In May 1863, Griffin took part in the opening fighting at the Battle of Chancellorsville.   In the weeks after the Union defeat, he fell ill and was forced to leave his division under the temporary command of Brigadier General James Barnes. During his absence, Barnes led the division at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2-3.   In the course of the fighting, Barnes performed poorly and Griffins arrival in camp during the final stages of the battle was cheered by his men.   That fall, he directed his division during the Bristoe and Mine Run Campaigns.   With the reorganization of the Army of the Potomac in the spring of 1864, Griffin retained command of his division as leadership of V Corps passed to Major General Gouverneur Warren.   As Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant commenced his Overland Campaign that May, Griffins men quickly saw action at the Battle of the Wilderness where they clashed with Lieutenant General Richard Ewells Confederates.   Later that month, Griffins division took part in the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. As the army pushed south, Griffin played at key role at Jericho Mills on May 23 before being present for the Union defeat at Cold Harbor a week later.   Crossing the James River in June, V Corps took part in Grants assault against Petersburg on June 18.   With the failure of this attack, Griffins men settled into the siege lines around the city.   As the summer progressed into fall, his division participated in several operations designed to extend the Confederate lines and sever the railroads into Petersburg.   Engaged at the Battle of Peebles Farm in late September, he performed well and earned a brevet promotion to major general on December 12. Charles Griffin - Leading V Corps: In early February 1865, Griffin led his division at the Battle of Hatchers Run as Grant pressed towards the Weldon Railroad.   On April 1, V Corps was attached to a combined cavalry-infantry force tasked with capturing the critical crossroads of Five Forks and led by Major General Philip H. Sheridan.   In the resulting battle, Sheridan became infuriated with Warrens slow movements and relieved him in favor of Griffin.   The loss of Five Forks compromised General Robert E. Lees position in Petersburg and the next day Grant mounted a large scale assault on the Confederate lines forcing them to abandon the city.   Ably leading V Corps in the resulting Appomattox Campaign, Griffin aided in pursuing the enemy west and was present for Lees surrender on April 9.   With the conclusion of the war, he received a promotion major general on July 12.    Charles Griffin - Later Career:       Given leadership of the District of Maine in August, Griffins rank reverted to colonel in the peacetime army and he accepted command of the 35th US Infantry.   In December 1866, he was given oversight of Galveston and the Freedmens Bureau of Texas.   Serving under Sheridan, Griffin soon became entangled in Reconstruction politics as he worked to register white and African American voters and enforced the oath of allegiance as a requirement for jury selection.   Increasingly unhappy with Governor  James W. Throckmortons lenient attitude towards former Confederates, Griffin convinced Sheridan to have him replaced with staunch Unionist Elisha M. Pease.    In 1867, Griffin received orders to replaced Sheridan as commander of the Fifth Military District (Louisiana and Texas).   Before he could depart for his new headquarters in New Orleans, he fell ill during a yellow fever epidemic that swept through Galveston.   Unable to recover, Griffin died on September 15.   His remains were transported north and interred at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, DC.   Selected Sources TSHA: Major General Charles GriffinHistory Central: Charles GriffinFind a Grave: Charles Griffin

Gandhi Essays - Gandhism, Mahatma Gandhi, Tax Resistance

Gandhi Essays - Gandhism, Mahatma Gandhi, Tax Resistance Gandhi World History Gandhi "Nonviolence in its dynamic condition means conscious suffering. It does not mean a meek submission to the will of the evil-doer, but it means pitting ones whole soul against the will of the tyrant" Mohatma Gandhi "An eye for an eye makes everybody blind" summarizes Gandhis view of violence. That statement is one of the greatest things ever said, and was borrowed by other world leaders including Martin Luther King Jr. Gandhi did not believe in violence as a technique of achieving his goal of an independent India. He preached non-violent non cooperation. Gandhi considered non-violent non cooperation as requireing more courage and dedication then violence. Through the methods he used in his campaign for the Free India he proved the previous statement to be true. Many people would find "non-violence in its dynamic condition" ironic. By the word non-violence Gandhi did not mean mere ignorance of the injustices that came upon his people, He supported active non cooperation, organizing non-violent marches and other events to protest the unfairness of the British occupation of India. In the salt marches Gandhi protested the British monopoly on salt and the salt tax Indians had to pay. He tried to a provoke violent a response from the colonial government. Such a response would show him to the world as a victim and not a tyrant. This approach would expose the British injustice and would get the worlds public opinion on hGandhis side. As a result, even the English people supported his independence movement. Gandhis non-violent non cooperation required much more bravery and devotion then violent techniques used by some other Indian independence leaders. During a march on a salt plant organized by Gandhi, men stood in line to approach the guards. When they approached, the men stood defenseless, while the guards beat them with sticks. As the beaten men were carried away new ones came forward. In this symbolic event the Indian people suffered greatly to show the world the cruelty of the colonial authorities and the persistence of the peple of India to achieve independence. Another showing of the British cruelty was the massacre, where protesters stood peacefully while the British soldiers gunned them down. After this event the entire world supported Indian independence. Non-violence was successful. In non-violent non cooperation Gandhi captured the support of the entire nation. Under his leadership millions of Indians sacrificed for the cause of freedom by non-violent methods. People stood defenseless while being beaten or killed to show the world the inhumane policies of the British. Non-violent non cooperation is one of the most difficult and painful policies to be dedicated to. Information from the following sources was used in this paper: The Movie Ganhdi, A History of World Societies, The Illustrated World Encyclopedia, The 20th Century Encyclopedic Dictionary, the movie To Do the Right Thing.

Cómo se apostilla un documento para darle validez en otro país

Cà ³mo se apostilla un documento para darle validez en otro paà ­s La apostilla de la Haya es un sello que acredita que un documento obtenido en un paà ­s es verdadero y, por lo tanto, debe ser reconocido y aceptado como vlido en otro. El sello de la apostilla - o apostille- puede variar en diseà ±o, tamaà ±o o color entre paà ­ses. Lo fundamental para su validez es que sea colocado por una autoridad competente segà ºn las leyes que regulan este tema en cada uno de los paà ­ses firmantes de la Convencià ³n de la Haya o que adoptaron ese tratado posteriormente. Este artà ­culo informa sobre los puntos clave que deben saberse sobre la Apostilla de la Haya, quà © tipo de documentos se pueden apostillar y cules son las autoridades competentes para apostillar en todos los paà ­ses de Latinoamà ©rica que forman parte de la Convencià ³n, asà ­ como en Estados Unidos y en Espaà ±a.  ¿Cules documentos se pueden apostillar? Son susceptible de apostillar documentos de registro civil, por ejemplo, certificados de nacimiento, matrimonio, divorcio, defuncià ³n o solterà ­a. Tambià ©n aplica a documentos notariales, certificaciones de nivel de estudio, diplomas acadà ©micos y titulaciones universitarias. Asimismo, pueden apostillarse las certificaciones de los registros mercantiles, patentes, autos y sentencias judiciales, y cualquier otro documento emitido por una autoridad o funcionario pà ºblico. Por otro lado, no pueden apostillarse los documentos administrativos referentes a una actividad aduanera o mercantil, ni tampoco los expedidos por agentes consulares.  ¿Cà ³mo apostillar en Argentina? La potestad de legalizar un documento mediante la apostilla de la Haya - conocida en Argentina como Apostille- corresponde al Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y Culto. La documentacià ³n debe presentarse en Esmeralda 1214, C.A.B.A. C1007ABR. En el interior del paà ­s los colegios de escribanos estn habilitados para colocar la apostilla. Si la documentacià ³n a legalizar ha sido emitida o certificada por una autoridad local, previamente a presentar los papeles deber obtenerse una legalizacià ³n por el Ministerio del Interior, Obras Pà ºblicas y Vivienda, y deber solicitarse el turno por Internet. Por otra parte, los tà ­tulos universitarios y las certificaciones de estudios secundarios y de estudios superiores no universitarios debern contar con la cadena de legalizaciones previa exigida por el Ministerio de Educacià ³n o, en su caso, el Ministerio de Sanidad, dependiendo del tipo de estudios.  ¿Cà ³mo apostillar en Bolivia? Desde 2018, se puede solicitar apostillar un documento en las oficinas del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores en La Paz, Cochabamba o Santa Cruz.  ¿Cà ³mo apostillar en Chile? La autoridad competente para apostillar en Chile depende de la naturaleza del documento pà ºblico. Asà ­, para asuntos de justicia le corresponde a los secretarios regionales ministeriales, y en el caso de la regià ³n metropolitana, al Subsecretario de Justicia. Los documentos de educacià ³n deben presentarse ante las secretarà ­as regionales ministeriales. Los sanitarios, ante los secretarios regionales ministeriales, el Intendente de Prestadores de Salud o directores de servicios de salud. Los documentos de identificacià ³n o registro civil deben apostillarse con los directores regionales o el nacional. Los documentos emitidos por el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores deben ser apostillados por el Director General de Asuntos Exteriores e Inmigracià ³n. Si la persona que debe apostillar un documento se encuentra fuera de Chile, puede solicitar este servicio por Internet y retirar el documento apostillado en un consulado en el exterior.  ¿Cà ³mo apostillar en Colombia? La tramitacià ³n de la apostilla se hace en là ­nea.  ¿Cà ³mo apostillar en Costa Rica? La autoridad para apostillar corresponde al Departamento de Autenticaciones del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto. La solicitud de cita se realiza en là ­nea. Pueden presentarse un mximo de 12 documentos por cita.  ¿Cà ³mo apostillar en Ecuador? En Ecuador, varias oficinas repartidas por las nueve zonas del paà ­s estn autorizadas para apostillar documentos pà ºblicos, previo pago de una tarifa de $20 que se reduce para mayores de 65 aà ±os y personas con discapacidad. Puede apostillar el titular del documento pà ºblico o una tercera persona.  ¿Cà ³mo apostillar en El Salvador? Corresponde apostillar al Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, el cual lo hace de forma gratuita. Previamente a presentar los documentos para apostillar es necesario obtener la certificacià ³n de autenticacià ³n de la firma del documento. El lugar donde se obtiene depende de la naturaleza de dicho documento. Por ejemplo, si se trata de partidas del estado civil, pueden hacerlo el alcalde municipal, el jefe del registro del estado familiar o el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores; si se trata de tà ­tulos universitarios, se encarga el Ministerio de Educacià ³n o el de Relaciones Exteriores.  ¿Cà ³mo apostillar en Estados Unidos? En Estados Unidos, la competencia para legalizar un documento mediante la apostilla de la Haya corresponde a diversas autoridades dependiendo del tipo de documento. Asà ­, si se trata de un documento emitido por una agencia del gobierno federal, puede apostillar la Oficina de Autenticacià ³n del Departamento de Estado. Se puede contactar marcando al 1-202-647-5002 o por correo. El costo es de $8 por documento. Si se trata de apostillar un Reporte Consular de Nacimiento, el certificado de matrimonio o fallecimiento de un ciudadano estadounidense ocurrido fuera de Estados Unidos, o el certificado de nacimiento o fallecimiento emitido entre 1904 y 1979 por el Gobierno de la Zona del Canal de Panam, la competencia recae en el Bureau de Asuntos Consulares del Departamento de Estado. La solicitud de la apostilla debe estar notarizada y acompaà ±ada por una copia legible de una identificacià ³n emitida en los Estados Unidos como, por ejemplo, la licencia de manejar. Si se trata de documentos emitidos por un juez o una corte federal, como una sentencia o un auto, por ejemplo, pueden apostillarlos los secretarios o los asistentes de secretario de dichas cortes. Asimismo, en estos casos hay otra alternativa, la cual consiste en solicitar al Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos que autentifique el sello de una corte federal y, a continuacià ³n, solicitar la apostilla a la Oficina de Autenticacià ³n del Departamento de Estado. Sin embargo, en Estados Unidos, la mayorà ­a de las veces la autoridad competente para apostillar es el Secretario de Estado de cada uno de los estados, ya que ellos apostillan documentos emitidos por cortes locales y tambià ©n documentos de registro civil, como por ejemplo certificado de nacimiento, matrimonio, divorcio o fallecimiento, o incluso de un tà ­tulo acadà ©mico. En estos casos, antes de apostillar es necesario obtener el documento original o una copia oficial del mismo. En el caso de certificados de nacimiento o de estado civil, lo ms frecuente es que se deba contactar con la oficina del secretario del condado (county clerk, en inglà ©s) o de la municipalidad. Tambià ©n es posible obtenerlo a travà ©s de pginas en Internet dedicadas a esta labor como, por ejemplo, vitalcheck. En ningà ºn caso, las embajadas o consulados de Estados Unidos pueden colocar el sello de la apostilla en un documento emitido por una autoridad de Estados Unidos.  ¿Cà ³mo apostillar en Espaà ±a? Para apostillar documentos pà ºblicos administrativos o judiciales, incluidos los de registro civil, las autoridades competentes son las gerencias territoriales del Ministerio de Justicia, la Oficina Central de Atencià ³n al Ciudadano, el mismo ministerio y las secretarà ­as de gobierno de los Tribunales Superiores de Justicia autonà ³micos. Sin embargo, si los documentos judiciales han sido expedidos por el Tribunal Supremo o por la Audiencia Nacional, la autoridad competente son sus respectivos secretarios judiciales. Finalmente, si se trata de un documento privado o un documento notarial, tienen la competencia para apostillar los colegios notariales. En numerosos casos es posible que previamente a apostillar se requiera un reconocimiento de firma por parte de la autoridad competente, como es el caso de tà ­tulos universitarios, documentos expedidos por el Instituto de Seguridad Social, el Instituto Nacional de Empleo, la Agencia Tributaria, etc.  ¿Cà ³mo apostillar en Guatemala? Corresponde la labor de apostillar al Departamento de Autà ©nticas de la Direccià ³n General de Asuntos Jurà ­dicos del Departamento de Relaciones Exteriores, ubicado en el Centro de Atencià ³n al Migrante (2a. Av. 4-17 zona 10), en Ciudad de Guatemala.  ¿Cà ³mo apostillar en Honduras? Corresponde esta labor a la Seccià ³n de Autà ©ntica y Apostilla de la Secretarà ­a de Estado en el Despacho de Relaciones Exteriores, Municipio del Distrito Central. Para la solicitud se requiere presentar recibo bancario de pago de tarifa. La apostilla se demora un dà ­a.  ¿Cà ³mo apostillar en Mà ©xico? Los documentos pà ºblicos estatales deben apostillarse con el gobierno del estado correspondiente. Son ejemplo de este tipo de documentos los emitidos por los oficiales del Registro Civil, los Jueces del Fuero Comà ºn, los presidentes municipales, los notarios pà ºblicos, la Procuradurà ­a y el Tribunal Superior de Justicia Estatal, etc. En el caso de documentos pà ºblicos federales, corresponde apostillar a la Secretarà ­a de Gobernacià ³n, Calle Rà ­o Amazonas # 62, Planta Baja,  Del. Cuauhtà ©moc, Col. Cuauhtà ©moc, C. P. 06500, Ciudad de Mà ©xico, Tel. (0155) 50-93-32-18 y 50-93-32-22. Las personas que viven en el interior de la repà ºblica pueden evitar tener que desplazarse al D.F. enviando la documentacià ³n por paqueterà ­a con guà ­a prepagada. Previamente, debern certificarse la firma del documento, pagar en ventanilla bancaria la hoja de ayuda para el pago de derechos, presentar identificacià ³n oficial vigente con pasaporte, INE, cà ©dula profesional o cartilla militar y, en el caso de los mexicanos, el CURP (Clave à ºnica de registro de poblacià ³n).  ¿Cà ³mo apostillar en Nicaragua? La autoridad competente es la Direccià ³n General Consular de la Cancillerà ­a. El titular puede presentarse en persona en sus oficinas o enviar la documentacià ³n por courier, previa descarga del formulario en el que se realiza la peticià ³n de apostilla.  ¿Cà ³mo apostillar en Panam? La labor de apostillar corresponde al Departamento de Autenticacià ³n y Legalizacià ³n del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, ubicado en Ave. Ricardo J. Alfaro, Centro Comercial Sun Towers Mall. Se puede contactar marcando al 511-4045 / 511-4046.  ¿Cà ³mo apostillar en Perà º? En Perà º corresponde al Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores la labor de apostillar documentos pà ºblicos, y realiza esta labor en las Ventanillas de Trnsito y Atenciones Personalizadas. Cualquier consulta sobre la apostilla puede enviarse por correo electrà ³nico a: legalizacionesyapostillatrcrree.gob.pe  ¿Cà ³mo apostillar en Repà ºblica Dominicana? La persona interesada en apostillar un documento pà ºblico debe presentarse en el rea de Recepcià ³n y Entrega de Documentos de la Direccià ³n de Legalizacià ³n de Documentos dependiente del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores. Previamente deber haber pagado la tasa correspondiente en el Banco de Reservas y obtenido la certificacià ³n de firmas ante la autoridad competente que depender del tipo de documento. Asà ­, si se trata de actos de tipo civil, deber obtenerse certificacià ³n previa por parte de la junta de distrito. En el caso de documentos jurà ­dicos o judiciales, est a cargo el Departamento de Legalizacià ³n de Firmas de la Procuradurà ­a General de la Repà ºblica; los documentos de estudios de primaria y secundaria son apostillados por el Ministerio de Estado de Educacià ³n; de los de estudios universitarios se encarga el Ministerio de Educacià ³n Superior; los documentos mercantiles y de empresas son apostillados por la Cmara de Comercio; los relacionados con la salud se apostillan por el Ministerio de Salud Pà ºblica; los militares, por el Ministerio de Defensa y Policà ­a Nacional; y, finalmente, los documentos concernientes a la religià ³n catà ³lica, son apostillados por el departamento de legalizaciones del arzobispado.  ¿Cà ³mo apostillar en Venezuela? Para apostillar es necesario registrarse en la pgina del Ministerio del Poder Popular para las Relaciones Exteriores y solicitar cita electrà ³nica. El dà ­a de la cita puede acudir el titular del documento, un familiar o su representante o apoderado. De interà ©s para quienes desean estudiar o trabajar en EE.UU. Entre los documentos que ms se apostillan estn los relacionados con la educacià ³n. Es un paso comà ºn para los extranjeros que desean estudiar o desempeà ±ar trabajados que requieren ciertos estudios en Estados Unidos. La apostilla es diferente a la validacià ³n y homologacià ³n de los expedientes y tà ­tulos acadà ©micos. En Estados Unidos, la llevan a cabo empresas privadas expresamente reconocidas por la institucià ³n en la que se desea estudiar o trabajar, es decir, no sirve cualquiera y es necesario prestar atencià ³n a ese detalle. Puntos clave La apostilla permite que un documento expedido en un paà ­s sea aceptado en otro.Se apostilla en el paà ­s que ha emitido el documento.Cuba es el à ºnico paà ­s hispanoparlante en donde no aplica la Convencià ³n de la Haya.Embajadas y consulados no pueden apostillar.Dependiendo de los casos, es posible que sea imprescindible obtener un reconocimiento de firma antes de apostillar e, incluso, una traduccià ³n jurada que tambià ©n podrà ­a ser necesario apostillar. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal de ningà ºn tipo.

Saturn Corporation Case Study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Saturn Corporation Case Study - Research Paper Example ugh Saturn Corporation employs a number of robust and innovative processes in the outbound transportation systems, yet, there may be several challenges faced by the company with respect to the choice of the outbound transportation methods. Cost control is a main objective of any business. Saturn Corporation faces the issue of cost control in choosing the outbound transportation provider. Ideally, low cost modes of transportation are chosen by Saturn Corporation because the costs associated with the transportation segment have huge impacts on the total purchase prices of the company which may be carried forward to the customers in the form of destination charges. The damage rate of the goods in the different modes of outbound transportation is another major factor for consideration in this company. Prevention of damage is considered to be of more importance that the rectification of damages in the automotive industry. The level of training imparted to the employees in the outbound tra nsportation service providers is a critical factor. The handling, loading and unloading of the goods are phases in which maximum damages to the products occur. As such, the training level and skills of the employees of the transportation service providers should be considered so as to minimize the rate of damage in the products. Shipment tracking facilities, equipment utilization and capacity of the outbound service providers are other critical factors that should be considered by Saturn Corporation while choosing the appropriate outbound logistics service provider. The capacity of the transportation service providers is also significant to increase the inventory turnover rate of Saturn Corporation. An increase in the inventory turnover rates is an important objective for any automaker. This can be achieved through the employment of dealers with multiple loading capabilities. A suitable combination of the available outbound transportation services is to be considered to improve the

Banksy in 'Exit ThroughThe Gift Shop 'Film Essay

Banksy in 'Exit ThroughThe Gift Shop 'Film - Essay Example Maybe Thierry became a bit arrogant when his hero Banksy suggests to him to focus on his own art and leave the film for him to finish. I think Banksy said that to gain control over the documentary as he wanted to make it into a real film, and not just a picture collage like Thierry’s effort Life Remote Control was. But Banksy didn’t foresee that Thierry would get crazy with his own ambitions and organised a massive exhibition with work he didn’t produce himself, but making a lot of money with it nevertheless. It’s ironic how this fateful event gave the documentary itself a new direction, or story to tell. But documentaries are about real life and life is unpredictable. This means a documentary can turn out differently than the filmmaker initially imagined it to be. I think this is what happened to Banksy. He seemed to be annoyed of Thierry making money, and pretending to be an artist, which is understandable, especially as Banksy is a great and innovative artist himself, who worked hard for his success and therefore deserves it. However, he also shows sympathy for Thierry (by explaining that his compulsive filming relates to him losing his mother as a child). I believe that Banksy didn’t mean to ‘destroy’ Thierry’s reputation, but to show that our society accepts art too easily as art, without questioning the artist and his real motivation. By doing this, Banksy also introduced a new style to documentary filmmaking-the object becoming directly involved in the filmmaking process. It will be interesting to see if other artists (including musicians, actors, filmmakers etc) who are subjects of documentary films will take a more active part in the filmmaking processes in the future. Banksy's Exit Through The Gift Shop – The Director's Role in a Participatory Documentary Film Exit Through The Gift Shop is a story full of irony and role reversals between amateur documentary filmmaker Thierry Guetta and accl aimed street artist Banksy who during the filmmaking process discloses Guetta to be an obsessive copycat artist. The film's narrative starts with portraying street artists and Banksy at work. The focus shifts onto Thierry's mission to become a successful artist himself when Banksy consciously initiates a role reversal from being the subject of the documentary to becoming its director. Film theorist Bill Nichols explores the influence documentary films can have: â€Å"Documentaries of social representation†¦are intended to have an impact on the historical world itself and to do so must persuade or convince us that one point of view or approach is preferable to others† (3). Banksy's move to take the camera from Thierry and turn it on him is therefore clever and calculated. By taking control over the filmmaking process, Banksy could fulfil his own agendas regarding the messages he wanted to convey to an audience. To achieve this, Banksy successfully combined several documen tary filmmaking techniques as defined by film theorist Bill Nichols (33): the ‘participatory mode’ (director being part of the action), the ‘expository mode’ (using so-called 'voice-of-God' narration) and the ‘reflexive mode’ (revealing and reflecting on documentary film-making practises that are usually hidden from an audience).1 I identified Banksy's four main agendas / messages he aimed to convey

Discuss How Fashion And Photography Inform Each Other Essay

Discuss How Fashion And Photography Inform Each Other - Essay Example This paper approves that the intricate relationship between photography and fashion, as evidenced in the existence of numerous fashion/photography collaborations in the history of the world of fashion, points out to the symbiotic relationship between these two fields of practice. Whereas the fashion photographers cannot exist without the designers who produce the subject of their work, the designers, on the other hand, cannot function effectively without the help of the fashion photographers who present their creative designs to the rest of the world in print. In view of the successful working relationship between the designer Issey Miyake and photographer Irving Penn’s, which went beyond commercial necessity to mutual creative respect that benefits both practitioners, it is evident that fashion and photography can, and indeed do inform one another. This paper makes a conclusion that the distinct field of fashion photography has risen out of the love relationship between fashi on and photography that has developed over the years, which has been motivated by both commercial benefits and the creative potential for practitioners in the two fields. Fashion and fashion photography collaborations allow the practitioners in both fields to indulge their creative capacity beyond imagination, thereby giving rise to fashion images that endear, challenge, and even engage individuals at various levels, making the genre of fashion photography unique and powerful.

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 27

Ethics - Essay Example e that the engineers of Telecommunications did influence the decision-making process by establishing engineering specifications that only BNC could meet. The engineers received free travel and lodging from BNC but only after the job was completed. Is there anything wrong with this picture? Yes, if the situation transpired as has been described above, then the kick backs for free travel are merely extended as a direct result of the prior unethical level of business interaction between the two parties in question (Santoro, 2010). 3. Do you think that Ed Keller is right to be concerned about the values of Telecommunications and the senior engineers who accepted the offers of free travel and lodging? Why or why not? If you believe that Keller’s concerns are warranted, which values should be of concern to him? He is right to be concerned; however, he must also be careful with regards to appearing to overstep the boundaries of his job description. Ultimately, entire ethics departments and legal teams exist as a means of understanding the unique nuances of performing business in transnational settings; however, if legitimately concerned with regards to the bid process, he should have merely asked what was standard accepted practice rather than appearing to question the legality or ethical nature of the engagement that took place in Colombia (Cragg & Muchlinski, 2013). In this way he would not have come across in an accusatory tone but instead appeared as if he were merely hoping to gain a greater level of knowledge with regards to standard

Comparative politics research project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Comparative politics research project - Essay Example In the last twenty seven years Brazil has made itself well known for its participatory institutions. The Brazilian economy has been going through a phase of boom and a big section of the population has moved above the poverty level and entered the middle class. Towards the beginning of this paper I shall discuss the economic situation in Brazil in the early years of the twentieth century when there was military regime. The process of urbanization had started to take place in the final years of the military authoritarian rule. The condition of the poorest section of the population was grave since they were suppressed and neglected. In the later part of the paper I shall elaborate on the living conditions of the poor, which has improved gradually since the democratization. But before moving into the discussion of the main issues presented in this paper, I shall briefly discuss a few terms, the understanding of which is important for the reading of this paper. This paper deals with the process of democratic transition in Brazil and addresses the question whether the incidence of reduction of poverty in Brazil is directly correlated with democratization in the country. Literature review Numerous researches have been conducted about the economic situation of Brazil and its democracy and it is evident that there is an economic link but none has specifically given conclusive evidence of the democracy link to poverty and its correlation. According to a report by the Network of Democracy Research Institutes (NDRI, 2006), Brazil is one of the Latin American countries that has fought poverty after its democratization and hence indicating a link between poverty and democratization. The same link is supported by Fukuyama, Diamond and Plattner (2012) who discuss the relationship in detail and sheds more light into there being a relationship between the two in Brazil. According to a paper by Avritzer, with the onset of democracy the poor could take part in the decision making mechanism of the country which improved the representation of their interests in the policies set. It helped them to have greater access of the public goods leading to better living conditions of the poor. Research Question The Democratization of Brazil took place between the years of 1985 and 1988. In 1988, the transition was finalized by enacting â€Å"a new democratic constitution.†2 The Constitution framed in 1988 paved the way for certain important changes in regard to civilians’ access to social services as well as creating participatory institutions. In 2012, approximately twenty eight million people could be lifted out of severe poverty and the middle class has expanded with some thirty six million people joining the middle class3. The research question is â€Å"Is the democracy in Brazil the cause of poverty reduction?† . This paper would also deal with the other question that re-states the research question, i.e, â€Å"Is there a correlation between democracy and poverty in Brazil?† Terms involved in this paper This paper talks about the democratization of Brazil and the consequent reduction of poverty in the country. By democracy we imply â€Å"a political regime with free competitive elections , without major prescriptions and with universal adult suffrage†4. In a democratic country the citizens enjoy â€Å"freedom of speech and the press, freedom of political association, and individual civil rights†

The differences of social dance between east coast and west coast Essay

The differences of social dance between east coast and west coast - Essay Example The tradition of storytelling that was a popular mode of communication in Africa was transported to America when they were made slaves against their will. â€Å"One way they would cope with the tremendous amount of pain & heartbreak of slavery would be to sing. While they were working in the fields they would often sing using â€Å"call to answer†. One leader would call out a certain part of a song and the rest of the slaves would answer with the next line. In modern times performing artists call this emceeing or crowd participation† (Mize). With this rap music travelled through cities and was accepted as a new yet entertaining form of music. In 1970’s rap music gained popularity and with the first release of the music album by Sugarhill Gang it became to be known as a proper genre. â€Å"By the 1990s, rap matured from an old-school-style – which was based o ­n relatively simple lyrics – to a new-school-style, which was louder and included more complex lyrics† (plasticlittleraps). It completely revolutionized the music and youngsters began to follow their favorite rap singers. The popular rap singers were Tupac and Wallace aka The Notorious Big; they were contemporaries and belonged to West and East coasts respectively. These two popular figures were assassinated and to this date the mystery of the murder still remains an enigma. Tupac was killed to avenge the insult and humiliation of one of the members of the Crips. After his murder in 1996, Wallace was associated with the murder under suspicion. To avoid any sort of trouble he made it clear in the press that he is remotely involved in the murder. However despite his justifications 6 months later in 1997 he was killed by unknown assailants. With this the rivalry between East Coast and the West coast grew and became stronger over the years to a degree that even today these coasts differ

Comparative politics research project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Comparative politics research project - Essay Example In the last twenty seven years Brazil has made itself well known for its participatory institutions. The Brazilian economy has been going through a phase of boom and a big section of the population has moved above the poverty level and entered the middle class. Towards the beginning of this paper I shall discuss the economic situation in Brazil in the early years of the twentieth century when there was military regime. The process of urbanization had started to take place in the final years of the military authoritarian rule. The condition of the poorest section of the population was grave since they were suppressed and neglected. In the later part of the paper I shall elaborate on the living conditions of the poor, which has improved gradually since the democratization. But before moving into the discussion of the main issues presented in this paper, I shall briefly discuss a few terms, the understanding of which is important for the reading of this paper. This paper deals with the process of democratic transition in Brazil and addresses the question whether the incidence of reduction of poverty in Brazil is directly correlated with democratization in the country. Literature review Numerous researches have been conducted about the economic situation of Brazil and its democracy and it is evident that there is an economic link but none has specifically given conclusive evidence of the democracy link to poverty and its correlation. According to a report by the Network of Democracy Research Institutes (NDRI, 2006), Brazil is one of the Latin American countries that has fought poverty after its democratization and hence indicating a link between poverty and democratization. The same link is supported by Fukuyama, Diamond and Plattner (2012) who discuss the relationship in detail and sheds more light into there being a relationship between the two in Brazil. According to a paper by Avritzer, with the onset of democracy the poor could take part in the decision making mechanism of the country which improved the representation of their interests in the policies set. It helped them to have greater access of the public goods leading to better living conditions of the poor. Research Question The Democratization of Brazil took place between the years of 1985 and 1988. In 1988, the transition was finalized by enacting â€Å"a new democratic constitution.†2 The Constitution framed in 1988 paved the way for certain important changes in regard to civilians’ access to social services as well as creating participatory institutions. In 2012, approximately twenty eight million people could be lifted out of severe poverty and the middle class has expanded with some thirty six million people joining the middle class3. The research question is â€Å"Is the democracy in Brazil the cause of poverty reduction?† . This paper would also deal with the other question that re-states the research question, i.e, â€Å"Is there a correlation between democracy and poverty in Brazil?† Terms involved in this paper This paper talks about the democratization of Brazil and the consequent reduction of poverty in the country. By democracy we imply â€Å"a political regime with free competitive elections , without major prescriptions and with universal adult suffrage†4. In a democratic country the citizens enjoy â€Å"freedom of speech and the press, freedom of political association, and individual civil rights†

Declining Lease Lengths in Commercial Properties Literature review

Declining Lease Lengths in Commercial Properties - Literature review Example Researchers have not dwelt on the length of the lease except the reducing average lease lengths in the UK. A term structure of rental rates has been responsible for various lengths of the leases but it has been lacking in market reviews. A market review provides valuable knowledge into the relationship between rent and lease length, creating a balanced rent, depending on rent projections (Rowland, 2002). A lease length may depend on specific landlord needs such as redevelopment in the near future or for creating more space for another business tenant. Normally, landlords’ interests are served through long leases while tenants desire short leases with alternatives of renewal (Rowland, 2000). The possibility of such factors as cost of shifting and the cost of reletting could be crucial in deciding rents and lease lengths. Reletting costs may be borne by either the landlord, if the short lease expires or the tenant shifting premises before the expiry of the lease. These costs may not be transferable but can be reduced with mutual consent between the landlord and the tenant (Rowland, 2000). In a term lease there is no boost to reduce depreciation of the property, thus not securing the salvage value of the property (Miller and Upton 1976, p.766; and Flath 1980, p.253)). Smith and Wakeman (1985, p.903)) discuss how lease provisions may change the incentives for both parties, quoting the use of service leases (in which the lesser provides the maintenance) as a solution of avoiding the lessee’s inclination to ignore the property (Rowland, 2002). The deficiency of interest among tenants to take care of the property has been used randomly in the housing economics literature to state tenure choice (Henderson and Ioannides 1983, p.98)) and the observed reduced rents on lease renewal than new lettings (Hubert 1995, p.631)). Kanemoto (1990, p.7)) thinks that the problem comes in substantiating to a third party (typically a court) that the tenant has misused the property. Various types of contracts for maintenance of property change the possibility of not-suitable standards of maintenance (Rowland, 2002). Benjamin, de la Torre, and Musumeci (1995, p.179)) present a model of under-maintenance by tenants, which compares the current values of owning and leasing property. The difference between the maintenance of property by owner-occupiers and by tenants shows the overexploitation by tenants during the lease, with bad outcomes for the residual value. The authors state different methods to improve upon the leases to reduce or eradicate the effects of the tenant’s provocation to misuse the property, like entering into contracts for maintenance by the owner, providing the tenant an alternative to purchase, deposit security or adjusting the rent as per usage needs (Benjamin, de la Torre and Musumeci 1995, p.184)) (Rowland, 2002). Interestingly, in Northern Ireland, the private investors prefer long lease terms on properties situated in pop ulous locations and depending on the area let properties on strong terms in the agreement (Crosby et al., 2002)). The property market was on the boom during 2002 in Northern Ireland, resulting in easy finance due to reduced interest rates realizing greater syndicate transactions related to the property. These inward investment initiatives like call centers for leading companies, including Halifax, Abbey National and Prudential and software development companies like Northbrook Technology and Fujitsu (Hamilton et al., 2005).

Harrison Bergeron Essay Example for Free

Harrison Bergeron Essay Is the conception of equality with gender, economic status, and talents truly achievable or simply a myth? The idea and possibility of equality appeals human’s emotional nature. It’s everyone ideal image and vision of how the world should be. However, can equality in every aspect potentially handicap one who’s potentially gifted? In the passage, â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† by Kurt Vonnegut (1961), he creates a strictly equitable society. In this â€Å"utopian† society, each person is treated equally despite each person’s characteristics or talents. Those who could be considered gifted or highly intelligent receive handicaps. One cannot compete, and display the talents or beauty granted to them at birth. Every individual is normal and rendered below-average in intelligence, strength, and ability. Concept 1: Characteristics of Giftedness The federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act defines gifted and talented students as â€Å"Students, children, or youth who give evidence of high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need services and activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities. [Title IX, Part A, Definition 22. (2002)] (www. nagc. org ). However, there are other definitions of giftedness from other pioneers of gifted education. There are common characteristics and attributes of gifted individuals. However, gifted individuals are not one and the same. These characteristics may vary depending on the individual’s cultural background, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and domain of giftedness (i. e. artistic, musical, dramatics, etc). Various empirical studies have been completed in regards to identifying common characteristics of students who are gifted. The characteristics have been subdivided into intellectual/academic, affective and emotional, and creative. The following academic characteristics are recurring but not limited to: early and rapid learning, rapid language development as a child, superior language ability, academic dominance, superior analytic ability, keen observation, advanced reasoning/problem solving, extrapolates knowledge to new situations, long attention span, communication skills, and a well-developed memory. The affective and emotional characteristics of students who are gifted include: high career ambitions, expanded awareness, over excitability, strong mpathy, moral thinking, reflectiveness, independent, inquisitive, perfectionism, excessive self-criticism, and nonconformity. Creative characteristics of a gifted student include: imaginative, creative, solves problems, and preference for novelty (Karnes Stephens, 2008). Throughout the story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron†, both Harrison and his father George, are above average, and Harrison is considered a genius. Harrison is a fourteen-year-old, who possesses intelligence so immense that he is arrested â€Å"on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government. Harrison harbors superior academic ability, and thinking that is abstract, complex, logical and insightful. Harrison had the heaviest handicaps, and outgrew hindrances faster than the H-G team could construct them. Yet again, this demonstrates his high-level thinking skills and ability to solve problems. Harrison is unusually strong and athletic as well, and was exactly seven feet tall. Harrison demonstrates his incorrigible strength by tearing his straps guaranteed to support five thousand pounds. Harrison’s superior academic ability, ability to analyze, nonconformity, and rebellious demeanor affected his socially, academically, and emotionally. He was isolated from his family and friends due to his intelligence. This separation affected him socially and emotionally. However despite the separation and confinement, he was still resilient. The text stated that he continued to outgrow each hindrance that the H-G men created for him. Academically, Harrison was denied his capability to live up to his true potential. Concept 2: Potential Giftedness The State of Texas defines Gifted and Talented student as, â€Å"someone who gifted AND talented describes a child or a youth, who performs at, or shows the potential for performing at, a remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age, experience, or environment†. Potentially gifted students are those whose talents are emerging but not consistently demonstrated or evident (Rinn, 2011). These students have the capabilities to perform at a higher academic level, but their current academic performance does not display those capabilities. These students hould be provided with opportunities to develop and stimulate their thinking. Their knowledge, skills, and conceptual understanding can be developed through instruction. These students have that ability, must it must be encouraged to drive them to achieve at their â€Å"full† capacity. In the story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron†, every person with above-average knowledge was negated of their â€Å"potential† intelligence, talent, strength, or beauty. Helen, Harrison’s mother was not given a handicap because she was foreseen as normal. In the story Helen states, â€Å"Who knows better’n I do what normal is? (Vonnegut, 1961, pg. 1) However, she could be potentially gifted, but sub-par performance and normalcy was the norm. The story also implies the strong resemblance of Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General with Hazel. Both were â€Å"normal† without a handicap. There was not an attempt to elevate them from average to above average. An individual can have the potential to perform well if encouraged or prodded. The ballerina in the story had the potential to defy gravity. However, she would have never tapped into that potential if Harrison had not prompted her. Having the potential to be gifted can affect you emotionally, socially and academically. The ballerina had the potential to be graceful, beautiful and strong, yet she was handicapped of those abilities in order to be equal to the others. The ballerina had to be conscious of her abilities in order to fit in with the others. Being self-conscious also affects you emotionally. You’re constantly criticizing yourself and holding back, in order to seem â€Å"normal†. Concept 3: Highly Gifted Highly gifted individuals are those that have an IQ score of about 145 or higher, or three standard deviations above the mean. Highly gifted individuals may also be referred to as exceptionally gifted or profoundly gifted (Rinn, 2010). The population of highly gifted students are small, as few as 1 in every 1000. Those who are highly gifted display characteristics such as: early mastery of gross motor skills, superb memory, intense interest areas, keen attention span, early mastery of verbal and written language, advanced logical thinking skills, extreme sensitivity to the feeling of others, and a vivid imagination (Karnes Stephens, 2008, pg. 118). These students have a great need for precision and exhibit a range of their cognitive abilities. These students also have the ability to make the simple, complex. This ability differs in a moderately gifted student and a highly gifted student. Harrison Bergeron, would be considered as highly gifted. Harrison possessed such a vast intelligence that he was arrested â€Å"on suspicion to overthrow the government†. Harrison is much more intelligent, physically capable, and appealing to the eyes in comparison to the rest of society. Harrison’s ability to tear the harnesses off his body and carry three hundred pounds of weight signifies his physical abilities. He defies the laws of gravity and the laws of motion by leaping high enough to touch the thirty-foot ceiling. Harrison had the capability to outsmart the hindrances of those the H-G men constructed. Using the model of everyone being the same/equal, places a limitation on highly gifted student’s intellectual growth. This can cause issues in their psychological well-being. These limitations had an emotional affect on Harrison. Because he was arrested and isolated from the rest society, he decided to cause a rebellion and name himself as Emperor. After breaking into the studio Harrison declares, â€Å"Even as I stand here crippled, hobbled, sickened – I am a greater ruler than any man who ever lived! Now watch me become what I can become! † (Vonnegut, 1961, pg. 2) He was physically caged and mentally caged, which caused him despair. Concept 4: Multiple Intelligences The Multiple Intelligence Theory, developed by Howard Gardner, proposes that intelligent behavior does not arise from a single unitary quality of mind, but are generated from separate metamorphical pools of mental energy (Karnes Stephens, 2008). This theory suggests there are eight different types of intelligence. Those intelligences include, linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalist. An individual may display strengths in one area and weaknesses in a different area. Linguistic intelligence enables individuals to read, write, and speak well. Logical-mathematical intelligence encompasses logical thinking as well as mathematical and scientific problem solving. Spatial intelligence is displayed when an individual has the capacity to perceive the visual-spatial world accurately and to perform transformations on one’s initial perceptions. Musical intelligence allows one to produce and appreciate rhythm and pitch, as well as appreciate musical expression. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence is the ability to control one’s body movements and to handle objects skillfully. Interpersonal intelligence is the capacity to discern and respond appropriately to the moods, temperaments, motivations, and desires of other people. Intrapersonal intelligence is the ability to access to one’s own feelings and the ability to discriminate among one’s emotions. Naturalist intelligence is the ability to recognize patterns in nature and differences among natural objects and life forms (Karnes Stephens, 2008, 44-45). Harrison Bergeron displayed various intelligences of the Multiple Intelligence Theory. He displayed bodily-kinesthetic strength by jumping thirty feet into the air. He was also able to tear the harness and straps that were guaranteed to support five thousand pounds. In addition to having bodily-kinesthetic strength, he demonstrated logical-mathematical intelligence as well. He was able to problem solve by eluding others. He also exhibited interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence. He knew the desire of the ballerina, and knew of his inner hunger to break away from the â€Å"chains† of the government. He yearned for freedom and power. The Multiple Intelligence’s that Harrison exhibited impacted his emotions. He longed to be free of handicaps, and establish himself as Emperor. His rebellious nature wanted to force others to break the law and be free of their handicaps. He demonstrated this with the ballerina and musicians. After announcing himself as Emperor, he selected an Empress.  This demonstrates his need to intermingle with others. Concept 5: Triatric Theory The triatric theory proposes that intelligent behavior arises from a balance between analytical, creative, and practical abilities and that these abilities function collectively to allow individuals to achieve success within particular sociocultural contexts (Karnes Stephens, 2008, pg. 44). The analytical abilities allow the individual to assess, analyze, compare, and contrast information. Creative abilities allow the individual to generate invention, discovery, and other creative endeavors. Lastly, practical abilities connect each facet together by enabling the individual to generalize in the appropriate setting. In order to have successful intelligence the individual must utilize their strengths, and simultaneously compensate their weaknesses in any of the areas. The central feature of the triatric theory is adaptability both within the individual and the individual s sociocultural context (Karnes et. al, 2008). There are three subtheories of this model, called mechanisms. The individual must first have the competence to learn to do things. The second involves both planning the act, as well as the necessary steps. The final mechanism involves implementing the action. In the story, Harrison illustrates the triatric theory. He exhibits strengths in the areas of analyzing and practicality. He is able to evaluate, analyze, compare and contrast. He demonstrates his analytical ability when the band begins to play. He realizes that in the beginning they aren’t playing to their full ability, and forcefully demands they play as he asked. The text states, â€Å"He listened gravely, as though synchronizing their heartbeats with it† (Vonnegut, 1961, pg. 3) This portion of the story validates his emotions. He again makes decisions based on his current feelings. He’s angry when the band plays mediocre and joyful when he determines the music is to his liking. His vast intelligence of music and dance is manifested during this particular part as well. He knows the appropriate beat and synchronization of the music. Concept 6: Galton’s Hereditary Genius British psychologist Francis Galton, investigated the work of Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. Darwin believed that natural selection applies to the mental traits because of the inherited changes of brain structure. Galton reported that eminence ran within family. In his study, approximately 10% of the eminent individuals had at least one relative who was also eminent. Galton concluded that intellectual characteristics must also have a hereditary origin. He furthered his researched and concluded that the human race could be improved through selective breeding, coined as eugenics. He hypothesized that society could evolve in a positive direction if eminent individuals could be encouraged to intermarry and produce large numbers of children. This suggested the opposite for those with mental defects. In â€Å"Harrison Bergeron†, above-average individuals were given handicaps so every individual would be considered equal in society. George, Harrison’s father had above-average intelligence. He bears multiple governmental handicaps in order to repress his intelligence, especially his ability to analyze. Every twenty seconds, the transmitter would send out a sharp noise to disrupt his train of thought, and to keep him from thinking at a higher level. Based on Galton’s study, Harrison is highly gifted based on hereditary origins. Harrison would fall into that 10% of eminence. George’s traits were passed on to Harrison, even though Harrison’s abilities are exponential. This example would affect the academic intelligence of the individual. Because George, Harrison’s father possessed above-average intelligence, Harrison received those traits. Therefore, his eminent intelligence is passed down. George was able to analyze before the handicap, essentially those traits were inherited, and therefore Harrison is able to analyze effectively. Concept 7: Twice Exceptional Twice exceptional individuals are those who are both gifted and have a learning disability (Rinn, 2008). These individuals can be grouped into four categories: (a) identified gifted students whose learning disability is undiagnosed, (b) identified learning disabled students whose giftedness is unrecognized, (c) students whose giftedness and disabilities are both identified, and (d) the student whose giftedness and disability have both been recognized (Karnes Stephens, 2008, pg. 121). Twice-exceptional students are characterized as having advanced reasoning skills and the ability to generalize. These students are also intelligent, impulsive, fail to complete assignments, poor study skills, and are highly motivated in areas of interest. In the story, it’s an abstract thought that those who are gifted are receiving a handicap, and now they are deemed as learning disabled. The announcer in the story also had a speech impediment. He was not able to deliver the important news because of the impediment. Harrison displays some of the characteristics of a twice exceptional individual. Harrison is intelligent, impulsive, and has advanced reasoning skills. His impulsiveness and demonstrated when he escapes from jail and declares himself as Emperor. Individuals who are twice exceptional experience frustration when they aren’t able to be successful. Their self-efficacy must be encouraged. Academically, these students may have various learning styles. Concept 8: Fluid Intelligence Fluid abilities drive the individual’s ability to think and act quickly, solve novel problems, and encode short-term memories. This intelligence can be described as the source of intelligence when that individual doesn’t know what to do. Fluid abilities are the individual’s biological components. Fluid abilities change with age (Karnes Stephens, 2008, pg. 43). Fluid intelligence is the ability to think and reason abstractly and solve problems. This ability is considered independent of learning, experience, and education. Examples of the use of fluid intelligence include solving puzzles and coming up with problem-solving strategies (http://psychology. about. com/od/cognitivepsychology/a/fluid-crystal. htm). In this story, Harrison displays his fluid intelligence by his ability to act quickly. He is able to escape from jail. He is also able to reason abstractly and solve problems. He solved the problem of the band not playing correctly, even though he was rather rough. George also demonstrated fluid intelligence, even though it was marred due to the handicap. These examples demonstrate academic intelligence. Being able to complete an activity, when you don’t know what to do is a true source of intelligence and common sense. Concept 9: Crystallized Intelligence Crystallized intelligence represents intentional learning. Crystallized intelligence is the knowledge you gain through instruction. Crystallized intelligence is learning from past experiences. This type of knowledge is based upon facts. Crystallized intelligence is the ability to use skills, knowledge, and experience. It should not be equated with memory or knowledge, but it does rely on accessing information from long-term memory. Crystallized intelligence is indicated by a persons depth and breadth of general knowledge, vocabulary, and the ability to reason using words and numbers. It is the product of educational and cultural experience in interaction with fluid intelligence. Harrison demonstrates crystallized intelligence when he used his prior knowledge of music. He knew the synchronization of beats, and the proper way the music should be conducted. He also used his prior knowledge of dancing, when he danced with the ballerina. Crystallized intelligence along with fluid intelligence work together to create academic knowledge for both long and short-term memories. Both are factors in the ‘G’ Theory. Concept 10: PASS Theory In Das and Neglieri’s PASS theory, intelligence is divided into four interrelated cognitive processes, planning, attention-arousal, simultaneous processing, and successive planning (Karnes Stephens, 2008, p. 45). This theory centers around planning. Planning is the ability to make decisions about how to solve problems and perform actions. Essentially information can be processed in multiple ways through the use of planning. It involves setting goals, anticipating consequences, and using feedback. Planning also involves attention-arousal, simultaneous processing, and successive processing. Attention-arousal allows the individual to focus on one component, and not be distracted by others. Simultaneous processing allows the individual to integrate certain stimuli into an interrelated whole. Information can be processed multiple ways through internal and external sources. In this story, Harrison’s actions revolved around planning. He planned his escape from jail. After escaping from jail, he was determined to let the world know that he was the new emperor, and was essentially causing a rebellion. His goal was to free everyone from the chains of oppression. This example hypothetically affected his emotions more so than academics. His goal was to be free of the handicaps and rule the world. He yearned for power, and power stems from emotion.

Analysis of Indias Sports Goods Industry

Analysis of Indias Sports Goods Industry The Sports Goods Industry was founded by Sardar Bahadur, Sardar Ganda Singh Oberoi in the year 1883 at Sialkot and Sports Equipment became the first Indian Industrial Product to be exported in 1885.The Sports Good Sector consists of both organised and unorganized sections of the industry. The Indian Sports Goods Industry thus has its origins in Sialkot, Pakistan. When India got partitioned in 1947, many Hindu artisans migrated from Sialkot to Punjab and Uttar Pradesh in India. Jalandhar is the most primary centre of Indias Sports Goods Industry followed by Meerut in UP and Gurgaon in Harayana. India is one of the largest producers of footballs and other inflated balls. The Indian Sports Goods Industry has grown tremendously since 1947. Some of the products like Cricket bat, ball, football and nets have been steadily gaining fame all over the world. The Sports goods Industry has grown by leaps and bounds in the past five decades and has contributed significantly to the Indian Economy by way generating employment, exploiting the rural and urban potential and also by way of exports, which are increasing every year. The Indian sports goods industry manufactures more than 300 items. United kingdom is the one of the major importer of sports goods manufactured in India followed by countries like USA, Germany, France and Australia. Some of the major items that are exported include inflatable balls, hockey sticks and balls, cricket bats and balls, boxing equipment, fishing equipment, indoor games like Carrom and Chess boards and some protective items. The sports Goods Industry thus provides a useful livelihood avenue and has helped preserve traditional skills acquired over generations. As some exquisite sports products require highly skilled processes to be followed for their production, the need for skilled workers in the industry is even more prominent inspite of the introduction of automated systems. After liberalization of India and introduction of the WTO agreements, sports goods sector is experiencing tremendous competition from foreign brands. Currently, the industry in mainly focused in the small-scale and cottage sector backed by some of the governments liberalized industrial policies. There is also a wide scope for improving the marketing of products and modernizing the technology used for manufacturing them. SPORTS GOODS INDUSTRY IN INDIA The Sports goods industry is divided into various manufacturing clusters. We would be discussing the clusters of Jalandhar, Meerut and Kashmir in detail as follows: Manufacturing cluster of Jalandhar: This cluster is called a transplanted cluster, as a major segment of this cluster which was originally part of Sialkot, Pakistan moved to Jalandhar on Indias partition. It is an important supplier of quality sports goods to more than 130 countries including some of the developed nations of the world. The Jalandhar cluster is also the only cluster to introduce the concept of machine-stitched footballs to meet the demands of the FIFA world cup 2010 and beyond. Skilled workers engaged in this industry are the most important parts elements in the production and are settled in camps adjacent to the manufacturing unit. The entrepreneurs setting up modern units with mechanized production systems are shifting to open space with more area to achieve better results and are away from crowded localities. The official estimate of the total number of persons working in the industry in about 1,70,000 while the unofficial estimate is 3,00,000. MANUFACTURING CLUSTER OF MEERUT: There are about 1250 registered and 2000 unregistered big and small sports goods manufacturing units providing direct and indirect employment to approximately 70,000 persons in the Meerut District of Uttar Pradesh. Supporting organizations have also grown to supply adequate quantity of raw materials to the sports goods industry and to provide training to the workers during the last few years. At the same time many schemes are operational for the development of the cluster. If given the right business opportunity to the sports goods manufacturers, this cluster can flourish. The production is low because the units are not mechanized as only 20% of them use machinery. Also latest technology is not available which acts as a deterrent in respect of the competition from China, Pakistan, etc. About 60% total production is being exported to Australia, South Africa, England, America, West-Indies, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh etc., through middle men and the remaining products are sold in the domestic market across India. There are various government bodies that help in the monitoring the progress and development of the cluster. These are listed and described briefly as under: Directorate of Industries, U.P.: This Government body is supporting the cluster in every respect by providing training, Technical Support etc. Process cum Product Development Centre (PPDC): It meets the technical needs of sports goods industry throughout the country in collaboration with Govt. of U.P. All India Sports Goods Manufacturers Federation (AISGMF): It supplies the information, technology and technical training to the Industry. It also arranges the raw material for the Industry. Export Promotion Bureau: It helps the small manufacturers to collect their product in one platform or the other so that they could export their product to other countries on low prices. Cricket Bats Manufacturing Cluster in Kashmir: The history of cricket bat industry in Kashmir goes back to pre-partition days when Sialkot (Pakistan) was the sports goods centre. With the partition of the Indian sub-continent, the skilled craftsmen of Sialkot shifted to Jalandhar, Meerut and the cleft makers of Kashmir turned toward newly established centers. In due course of time, the demand of the cricket bats in the country increased and cricket bats started getting manufactured to meet this demand. The finest willow is English Willow, followed by Kashmir Willow for manufacturing cricket bats. Over 80% of all cricket bats today are manufactured in Jalandhar, Meerut, Kashmir and Jammu cities. All of them depend on Kashmir for their willow clefts. World famous Kashmir Cricket bats industry is now facing a slow death. Cricket Bat Manufacturers Association revealed that out of a total 300 cricket bat manufacturing units in Kashmir valley, half of them have shut their units. The cricket bat industry is battling for survival in the state. Jammu region, which boasted of 77 cricket bat manufacturing units a few years back, has now a mere 10 units, while the scenario in Kashmir valley is no different. Major Sports Goods Production Centers/Clusters and Product Categories: Major Sports Goods manufacturing clusters and major product categories of sports goods produced are compiled in the following table: Sl. No. Location/ Cluster Major Product Categories 1. Jalandhar Inflatable ball( Soccer /Rugby/Volley/Net/ Hand Basket ball) in PU PVC Boxing Equipment Cricket Equipment Sports ware Track and Field Equipments Sports Training equipment Hockey Equipment Hockey Foam Moulded Goalie Range Shipguards All kinds of Nettings 2. Meerut Weight Lifting Equipment Cricket Equipments Athletics Equipments Boxing Equipments Table Tennis Badminton Carrom board Fitness and Exercise equipment Lane Markers Basket ball Netball rings TT accessories Sports Apparel 3. Jammu Kashmir Cricket Bats 4. Delhi Football Carrom Board Chess Cricket Equipment Billiards/Snooker/Pool Tables Accessories Football Bladders Boxing equipment Punching Sports Helmets Educational Puzzles Board Games 5. Gurgaon Golf Equipment Board Games 6. Mumbai Water Park Slides Carrom Board Payground Fitness Equipment Sports Nets Helmets 7. Kolkata Skipping rope Carrom Board Magic tricks magic apparatus 8. Chennai Tennis Balls, Sports Shoes and Apparels 9. Bangalore Bowling Equipments Sports Medals Trophies Gym Health Equipments Productivity Growth of Indian Sports Goods Sector Indian sports good sector is a fast growing revenue generating sector. Industry is clustered mainly at Jalandhar, Meerut and Jammu belt providing high employment to locals. Industry is bolstered by high labour productivity, low wage rates and high skill sets of labour class involved. Indian sport goods industry has dualistic nature with cheap skilled labour as one pillar and handmade product being the other. Sports Goods sector in India comprises of organized sector which is registered under FACTORY ACT 1948 and unorganized sector (cottage industry) scattered around sports zone of Jalandhar and Meerut. Recent globalization and skilled labour has increased productivity which resulted in significant portion of total product exported from India. Fig. 1: Labour, Capital and Total factor Productivity Growth Indices From the above graph we can conclude that capital productivity has increased but the same period witnessed decline of labour productivity and total factor productivity. This aspects requires high capital investment, FDI Research and Development for debottlenecking the growth and production. Export Competitiveness of Indian Sports Goods Industry Sports good market is facing an all out competition with expansion of Sporting giants like NIKE, ADIDAS, PUMA and REEBOK. Inspite of all these factors Indian sports goods industry has shown tremendous growth. Improved operation strategies, aggressive marketing and investment in Research and development has increased the quality production and stamped India as one of major supplier of sporting goods in global arenas. The international market awareness resulted in revamp of the industry, instigating better product development and diversification trends. Impact of above can be seen in double digit growth rate (in RS) of Sports industry in last financial year when other sectors where facing growth crunch because of global recession. Overall Export Performance of Sports Goods from India According to Sports Goods Export Promotion Council (SGEPC) total export value of Indian sports industry is estimates to be around Rs 586 crores. This shows year on year growth rate of 13%.Top 5 performers which constituted for more than 60% of the total export value are Hammocks, Inflatable Balls, Boxing Equipment, Cricket Bats General Exercise Equipment. In this Hammocks recorded a massive growth of 76% (in Rs). Indias Export of Major Sports Goods 2002-03 to 2008-09 Country Wise Export of Sports Goods Financial year 2008-2009 saw increase in export destination from 127 countries(2007-2008) to 137 countries (2008-2009).Top 5 destinations includes U.S.A, U.K., Germany, Australia, South Africa and accounted for 70% of the total export by industry. Indias Export of Sports Goods 2004-2005 to 2008-09(Rs in crore) During period 2003-2004 to 2007-2008 Export and import Trade ratio shows that India was net importer of Table-Tennis equipments ,Lawn Tennis and badminton rackets, Track and fields equipments .During the same period India was a net exporter of Cricket balls, Hockey sticks, Cricket bats, Fish hooks and other line fish nets. RECENT GOVERNMENT POLICIES FAVOURING SPORTS GOODS INDUSTRY Global Scenario in the Sports Goods Industry The Sports goods manufacturing industry is booming owing to the large scale viewership of sports and the overall sports industry reaching the dizzying heights of $ 500 million this year. Thus there are even more people who are keen to join this bandwagon and look at sport as not just a hobby but as a serious retail manufacturing business. With the major sporting events marketed in a grandeur fashion coupled with the dire need for corporate brains to emulate the health is wealth concept, more individuals are purchasing sports goods there by promoting the global sports goods industry to elevated heights. Online sales of sports goods is booming at 32% increase over the 12 months end of June 09. Thus selling on the net has many opportunities for sport brands, when many new retailers are entering the market on a regular basis. An independent association called The World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI) is formed by global manufacturers, retailers, suppliers, country specific federations and other sporting brands and goods related businesses. It is the world body for sporting goods industry and the IOC also recognizes it within its Olympic family. The WFSGI does not work for its own gain and is a non-profit organization helping the conglomerate of sporting bodies to work together. The WFSGI helps the promotion of fair trade wherein more people are actively involved in sports both as a business and a career. The federation updates its members on important laws and regulations for product safety and improved working conditions. They represent the sporting goods industry and are like a liaison between the international organizations like the UN, WTO, etc and international sport organizations like the IOC, International Federations, etc. Sports goods manufacturers There are many renowned manufacturers like Adidas, Nike, Puma, Slazenger, Yonex etc that are internationally acclaimed and are the global leaders in sports goods manufacturers. We will take a look at the top 3 manufacturers, Adidas (Herzogenaurach, Germany) is an international giant for manufacturing footwear, accessories and apparels. Adidas manufactured footwear includes football, basketball, running, golf, training, outdoor and cycling shoes for men and women. Among accessories, it manufactures footballs and shin guards, tennis wristbands and caps, workout and weekender bags. The apparels include jerseys, socks, shorts and training outfits. Its subsidiaries include Reebok, Rockport and the Golf brand TaylorMade. Nike (Beaverton in Oregon) undertakes the distributing, marketing and designing of accessories, apparels and footwear on a global basis. Nike is a world leader in sports goods manufacturer with its subsidiaries like Umbro, Hurley International, Converse and Cole Hann designer. Puma (Herzogenaurach, Germany) Puma is into cricket equipment manufacturing since an early stage and the big boys of Adidas and Nike have recently joined the band wagon. Puma also designs, distributes and makes sports equipment, apparels and accessories. International Policies Every country does its bit to ensure that the imports are low and the local manufacturers have a fair share of the markets in its domestic markets. We have given the policies of a few countries to help in this endeavour. Brazil: The anti dumping law is a major roadblock to exploring the impending businesses forecasted due to the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. According to this every product manufactured in China will have to pay an anti dumping charge to the Brazilian Government and this increases the price of product to be sold in Brazil. Thus local Brazilian manufactured products stand to gain from this and the international community is trying hard to revoke this anti-dumping policy. Indonesia: To reduce the imports, every consignment of imports that enter Indonesia is subject to a stringent inspection and the cost of this is a burden to the importer. Thus the importation time increases and this encourages local manufacturers. USA: The Obama Government has implemented a Section 421 that imposes certain tariffs on tires imported from China and this is expected to hold fort against the textile and apparels also from China. Since US imports 97% of its apparels, this import tariffs on China has been done to try shifting the manufacturing industry from China to Central America. China: Many countries take a safeguard against goods manufactured and imported from China by implementing various anti-dumping laws and thus protect their trade interests with China. South Africa: Increase in the import tariff which was already high at 40% to 45% further increases the price of imported goods in the country but this has not seen any stark change in the increase in the profits of the local manufacturers. With the sporting events like the Football World Cup and the Cricket Champions League T20 these import tariffs have not been a deterrent and the local sales plunder downwards further. Environmental factors to be considered Recycled materials in development of sports goods: This can be achieved by using recycled materials in part with other materials. Environmental conservation in development of sports goods: Products that should not harm the environment have a long shelf life and are easily disposable. Energy conservation in development of sports goods: Provides the body with the right amount of heat and cold to maintain the body temperature. Ecological friendly methods in development of sports goods: Products that do not degrade the environment during its manufacturing process and toxic substances should be emitted away from human inhabitation. Reuse methodology in development of sports goods: Products that are retooled and can be reused or may be can be converted into a different product. Challenges faced by the Sports Goods Industry Some of the challenges faced by the Sports Goods Industry are as under: Most of the industry is in tiny sector and the Production volumes are low Low mechanization in the MSME(Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) industry. The thrust is mainly on manual labour. There is a dearth of research and development facilities Lack of synergy and coordination amongst various manufacturers critical for Component Approach Higher production cost due to low scale of production Comparatively higher interest rates for loans Insensitivity to customer needs/ poor channels of customer feedback and customer complaint redressal system. Minimal expenditure on brand building, advertising Lack of professional management Lack of opportunities for sports goods manufacturers Lack of Tax exemption, government support, inefficient transportation and distribution system has resulted in loss of customer and opening of many new exporting countries like China and South Korea. Many of the importing countries are preferring Bio-Degradable goods and failure of Indian industries to come into this term has resulted in further loss of global market share. Sports equipment does not include Gyms health equipment, which are now very popular. The power supply to most of the industrial units in major clusters of sports goods (Jalandhar, Meerut and Srinagar) is very erratic Summary and Recommendations The sports goods industry is a sector with vast potential to grow in the near future. The resilience of this industry was displayed for the world to see when it remained largely unaffected by the global economic recession in 2008. But an important obstacle to the growth of the Indian sports goods industry into an internationally competitive sector is its relatively small scale of operations (it is mainly confined to Jalandhar, Meerut, Srinagar and Delhi), as a result of which it is not able to cater to bulk demand. Some recommendations to turn India into a world-class sports goods manufacturing hub are: Setting up of sports manufacturing complex Sports manufacturing clusters should be set up in Punjab, U.P and Jammu Kashmir, where majority of sports goods are manufactured, with facilities like an information centre where all the latest information on raw materials, technology, specifications etc. is available; skill development centre for training workforce for various products being manufactured, etc. Infrastructure: Infrastructure at ports should be upgraded to meet international standards with quick off-loading and on-loading facilities. Also, the power supply at most of the industrial clusters is very erratic, with some units getting power only 3-4 days a week. To solve this problem, industrial units should be given power supply for at least 12 hours a day. New product development According to studies conducted by leading agencies, only 20-25 product groups are manufactured in India whereas over 100 product groups have been identified as sports equipment internationally. There is an urgent need for product diversification which can be met by establishing an R D centre to conduct research on new products. Raw materials The sports goods industry faces many hurdles in obtaining several essential raw materials for manufacture of sports goods. For example, willow, which is used to manufacture cricket bats, is a type of wood which is available only in Jammu Kashmir. However, the government has banned the movement of willow outside the state. Similar is the case with cane, which is available only in the Andaman Nicobar Islands and the north-east. Such bans on the movements of essential raw materials should be removed. Fiscal measures Special incentives, for example, a tax holiday of 5 years, could be given to industries in this sector which adopt automated and modern methods for manufacturing. Marketing and product promotion Domestic It is important to popularize Brand India domestically. International events which are held in India could be compulsorily required to use sports goods manufactured in India, which pass international specifications and standards. In fact, the Commonwealth Games, to be held in India in October, would be an ideal opportunity to enhance the image of Indian sports equipment and popularize Brand India. Another method could be to encourage the national sports channel, DD Sports, to air advertisements of national sports brands at concessional rates. Currently, most local brands cannot afford to promote their brands on TV. International Participation of small and medium Indian manufacturers at international sports fairs and exhibitions should be encouraged, with the Government subsidizing the cost of participation. Brand India should be promoted at these international fairs with publicity support from the Government. Also, the cost of obtaining international certification, which is necessary for Indian goods to be used in international tournaments, should also be borne by the Government. Lean manufacturing techniques A separate study on the sports goods sector should be commissioned by the government for studying the present production processes and suggest changes to improve productivity and minimize wastages and make the sector more cost-effective. The total world trade in sports equipment, sports apparels, sports shoes, etc. is estimated to be around $80 billion. Of this, 70% is accounted for sports apparels and sports shoes, 5% for sports accessories and remaining 25% for sports equipments. This classification does not include gym equipment, which is now becoming very popular. In India, sports equipments alone are considered as sports goods and sports shoes and sports apparels are not considered as sports goods at all. All 4 categories of sports goods should be brought together on a common platform to project Indias capabilities in holistic manner.